Rodney Strong earns $2M rebate from PG&E

Rodney Strong Vineyards received a check from PG&E for
$2,164,403 at a ceremony at the winery last Friday morning. The
money comes to the winery as a rebate from the utility following
the completion of a solar-electric power system atop Rodney
Strong’s barrel house.
Rodney Strong CEO Tom Klein explained that more than the
PG&E rebate was involved in the decision to build the
solar-electric system. “The combination of solar technology
improvements, along with customary flat-surfaced winery storage
areas and their sunny locations, have made renewable energy more
commercially viable,” Klein said.
The winery spent more than $4 million installing the system that
includes 4,032 solar panels. The panels will supply up to 766
kilowatts of direct current (DC) power on a sunny day. That
converts to 639 kilowatts of alternating current (AC) electricity –
enough to power as many as 800 homes.
According to Rodney Strong Facilities Manager Jim Magness the
winery uses an average of about 600 kilowatts per day. During the
cool, cloudy days of winter the winery will continue to draw power
from the California power grid, but during warm sunny months, the
winery’s meters will reverse direction, and the winery will supply
power to the grid. Because of the winery’s annual net surplus of
power, and the resulting sale of electricity to PG&E, it is
expected that the investment in the solar-electric system will be
paid off in 10 years.
During the anticipated 25-year lifespan of the system, it is
expected to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
by 8,700 tons, compared to the generation of a similar amount of
power using fossil fuels. According to Rodney Strong Vice-president
Lee Hodo, that is the equivalent of planting 2,500 acres of trees
or removing 1,700 cars from the road. It is the largest
solar-electric system ever installed by a winery, said Hodo.
The Klein family has been farming in California for 100 years,
and has owned Rodney Strong vineyards for 13 years. “Increasingly,
we have gone about the business of reviewing our energy efficiency
and environmental responsibilities from the ground up,” said Klein.
“Our intention is to be supportive of our Sonoma County
environment.”
Powerlight Solar Electric Systems of Berkeley installed the
solar-electric system.
PG&E created the rebate program in response to state
legislation that requires alternative energy incentives for
electricity customers. The legislation came in the wake of
California’s 2001 energy crisis.
According to PG&E spokesperson Lloyd Coker, the rebates are
funded entirely by PG&E and are available for alternate energy
projects such as bio-mass, wind and solar generation. Rebates for
commercial and industrial customers are available at $4.50 per
killowatt or 50 percent of the total project cost, whichever is
least.
The California Utilities Commission has a similar rebate program
for residential users.
Along with Windsor Mayor Debora Fudge and Healdsburg Mayor Lisa
Schaffner, representatives from PG&E and State Senator Wes
Chesbro’s office attended the Friday morning ceremony.
The check PG&E passed on to the winery brings to $23.3
million the amount that the utility’s Self Generation Incentive
Program has paid out in rebates for solar-electric systems since
the first payment was made in 2002.